Party
|
Number of Candidates
|
Total Vote
|
%
|
+/-
Aug |
Average/
contest |
+/-
Aug |
+/-
Seats |
Conservative
|
31
|
13,829
|
29.7%
|
+0.9%
|
446
|
-65
|
-5
|
Labour
|
30
|
12,512
|
26.9%
|
-3.0%
|
417
|
-281
|
-1
|
LibDem
|
25
|
10,142
|
21.8%
|
+13.1%
|
406
|
+202
|
+8
|
UKIP
|
25
|
5,276
|
11.3%
|
+1.0%
|
211
|
-95
|
-1
|
Green
|
14
|
1,242
|
2.7%
|
+0.5%
|
89
|
-13
|
0
|
SNP*
|
1
|
1,261
|
2.7%
|
-6.8%
|
1,261
|
+77
|
-1
|
PC**
|
2
|
378
|
0.8%
|
+0.8%
|
189
|
+189
|
+1
|
TUSC
|
0
|
0
| |||||
Ind***
|
6
|
1,610
|
3.5%
|
-1.9%
|
268
|
+16
|
-1
|
Other****
|
4
|
329
|
0.7%
|
-0.5%
|
82
|
-133
|
0
|
* There was one by-election in Scotland
** There were three by-elections in Wales
*** There was one Independent clash
**** Others this month consisted of Mebyon Kernow (111), MIF (148), British Peoples Party (6), People First (64)
Overall, 46,579 votes were cast over 32 local authority (tier one and tier two) contests. All percentages are rounded to the nearest single decimal place. The Conservatives won 10 contests, Labour nine, LibDems 10, UKIP one, Plaid Cymru one, and Independents one. Conservatives and an Independent successfully defended a seat apiece by a safe margin (500+ votes), while 13 council seats changed hands in total. For comparison with Auguest's results, see here.
It was shaping up to be a dismal month for Labour, with the party losing three seats to the LibDems and on to the Tories, but something was salvaged by taking two back from the Conservatives and one from the SNP (!). It just kept getting worse for the Tories and they seemed particularly vulnerable to the yellow by-election surge, with the Libs seemingly coming from nowhere in a number of seats and taking them out. Can't say there will be many tears shed in my house about the blue team's performance though, annoyingly, they came out on top of the utterly meaningless by-election popular vote.
Meanwhile, as the LibDems surge in defiance of the polls, UKIP's under performance continues. 11.3% is certainly nothing for a minor party to be ashamed of, but considering how two years ago they were pulling in numbers like the Libs are now (though not the same numbers of seats, it has to be said), it's not looking great for them. Nor for the thesis they're about to displace Labour all across the north.
1 comment:
The Lib Dems do recently seem to be showing an ability to punch above their polling weight in the local elections. It'll be interesting to see if that's replicated in the Witney by election - don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting them to win. It's one of the safest Tory seats in the country. Even so, if they move from third to second place, it may suggest they have a viable future as the anti-Brexit protest party.
To declare my biases, I joined the Lib Dems two weeks ago.
Post a Comment